If you want to boost your weight loss, or relieve some of that headache or body pains, a cup of ginger tea might be your best friend. That warm and soothing feeling that glides down your throat is what makes it homey and delightful.

But, what is all the fuss about ginger teas? What made it popular after the COVID pandemic? All these questions and more are answered in this article.

What Is Ginger Tea?

Ginger tea has a warming, slightly spicy taste. Ginger contains compounds, such as shogaols and gingerols, that might be beneficial to a person’s health.

Ginger is consumed in multiple ways in folk medicine, including in the form of ginger tea.  You can make your own by grating or slicing fresh ginger into a mug, or buy it as dried, loose pieces or in tea bags by boiling the ginger itself or letting it steep in hot water for a few minutes.

Main Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

• May help to ease digestive discomfort

  • This may be one of the most popular benefits of ginger tea. Ginger tea helps soothe digestive issues, nausea, and morning sickness. 

• Anti-inflammatory

  • Ginger contains key phytonutrients known as gingerols, and research has shown that these can have an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect which, when drunk as a tea, may help support a healthy microbiome.

• May help to reduce blood pressure

  • Ginger tea may help decrease the risk of hypertension for people who consume ginger tea everyday.

• May aid weight loss

  • Ginger may have a positive impact on obesity through a number of different mechanisms, including appetite control and increasing thermogenesis (heat production).

• Ease headaches and migraines

  • A handful of studies show that ginger has pain-relieving properties that can be beneficial for those who suffer from headaches and migraines. Drinking ginger tea can help prevent and relieve headaches.

• Antioxidant rich

  • Ginger is high in antioxidants and has been shown to have antiproliferative effects on tumor cells, in particular pancreatic and colon cancer – consuming ginger tea regularly may offer a preventative effect.

Other Health Benefits of Drinking Ginger Tea

• May provide relief from motion sickness

  • As suggested by folk medicine, ginger tea can help ease motion sickness symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, and cold sweats.

• May alleviate nausea from morning sickness or chemotherapy

  • Ginger might be a cheap and effective alternative to traditional anti-nausea drugs for chemotherapy patients, and people who cannot afford conventional medicines. Gingerold in ginger can help relieve nausea caused by chemotherapy, or surgery.

• May help manage blood pressure and support heart health

  • Research suggests that consuming ginger in daily doses of 2–6 grams may help protect against heart disease. Ginger may do this by lowering blood pressure, helping prevent heart attacks, helping prevent blood clots, relieving heartburn, lowering cholesterol, and improving blood circulation.

• May help manage weight and blood sugar levels

  • Ginger may help improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity by reducing fasting insulin levels, hemoglobin A1C, and triglycerides.

• May relieve pain and inflammation

  • The compounds in ginger called gingerol and shogaol help reduce the production of pro-inflammatory markers. 
  • Ginger tea may also help alleviate menstrual cramps if you take it at the start of your period. Research shows it may be equally or more effective than over-the-counter pain relief medications.

• May have cancer-fighting properties

  • Test-tube studies have shown that gingerol and shogaol may contribute to ginger’s cancer-fighting properties by causing cell death and preventing cancer cell multiplication and growth.

• May protect your brain

  • Scientists have studied ginger’s protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation — two factors that play a decisive role in the development of brain degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

• May help soothe sore throats and colds

  • Ginger was more effective against the bacteria that causes streptococcal pharyngitis, or strep throat, than some antibiotics.

• May help with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

  • One 2016 study consisting of 44 people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) found that consuming 2 grams of a ginger supplement over a period of 12 weeks showed some beneficial effects, including lowering inflammation and improving insulin resistance.

• May provide arthritis relief

  • A study conducted in 2018 suggests that ginger reduces inflammation, pain, and disability in osteoarthritis of the knee. It also shows that ginger may prove useful in those with an inadequate response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.